Wolf Asylum (19 page)

Darwin commanded, “no, let him die slowly. I need some answers from him first.”

“As you wish,” Slade confirmed. “So, who's Mary or Marta, and why is that a big deal?”

“Mary was my girlfriend. She disappeared in the forest. She was my…” Darwin hesitated. “She was my best friend's sister.”

“So, why does Kimbel believe she's this Marta person?” Tara asked.

Darwin remained in thought, continuing to watch Dave squirm in and out of consciousness. “I had a sister named Marta. I never knew her, though.”

Slade asked, “he said it as though he knew you'd react. Why did you react so strongly? What he said barely had time to sink in.”

Darwin responded, “wouldn't you react if you found out you'd been fucking your own sister? Accusing Mary of being my sister…that just seems more out of spite.”

“Could Mary be Marta?” Terri asked.

“Did you know Marta?” Darwin asked.

Terri replied, “oh yes, I met Marta on several occasions. Mind you she was only a child. I think she was probably ten or eleven the last time I saw her. She went away. I never knew why and it wouldn't have been right of me to ask, but there were rumors, of course.”

“What did you hear, Terri?” Darwin asked, grabbing a chair and sitting down, making no effort to cover himself. Being a werewolf had made all members of the family a far cry from shy.

“I know your sister changed. It wasn't a fast change. Slowly, over time, she turned from a sweet innocent child into something else. We could all feel it when she was around. It was like a cold, menacing presence. Things had a tendency to disappear, break or even die when she was around. Pets would scowl and hiss. Old lady Chester, owned the pet store two blocks up from my place…I swear Marta killed her,” Terri said.

The room came to a hush with the exception of Dave who was down to sobs of mucus and labored breathing, which most everyone ignored. Slade on the other hand listened to the tale but marveled at his poison as it raced through his latest kill.

“Catherine Chester was the odd ball of New Haven. Loved her animals, was crazy about them. She would do anything to protect her critters. I think she loved her animals more than humans. She was very careful with whom she sold her pets to and she wouldn't sell to just anyone. Stray cats just had a way of finding her. She always took them in and fed them…even the feral ones. She didn't sell those ones. She must have had twenty cats in her home. She was a kind lady; a recluse, but kind just the same. Anyway, legend has it your mother came into her shop and purchased a dog, a Beagle I think it was. Marta was with your mother when she went to pick up the puppy. As I heard it, while your mother was talking with Cathy about the needs for the puppy, Marta wandered off and became mesmerized by a snake. Marta, for whatever reason decided to feed the snake, a boa I think it was. She went and grabbed a kitten and proceeded to put the cat inside the tank with the snake. Old lady Catherine saw Marta and ran over to stop her. Marta apparently looked Cathy in the eye as she raced down the aisle to stop the child. Marta snapped the kitten's neck and tossed it to the snake. Cathy grabbed Marta by the arm, quite hard I was told. The cold child sneered at her and bit her. In a reflexive motion Cathy punched Marta in the face to get the child to release her jaw. Amazingly the blow to her face hardly fazed the child and she continued gnawing on Cathy's arm. Your mother intervened, whispered something to Marta and she released. Catherine demanded they leave at once and told them they could never have an animal from her store.” Terri stopped.

“What did my mother say to Marta?” Darwin asked with true curiosity.

“I don't know. Catherine only managed to tell her story to one other person before she died and the story was handed down from there,” Terri said.

“How did she die?” Tara asked.

Terri replied, “After she was bit, Cathy never slept. I mean she never slept, from that day forward. She tried and tried, but no amount of sleeping pills or alcohol could put her out. The doctors tried everything. Within a few weeks the insanity got the better of her. She tied a plastic bag around her head and then smashed her skull into a wall until she was unable to move. The bag filled with blood and she eventually drowned.”

“That's not easy to do,” Slade commented as he raised an eyebrow.

“No it isn't. She had to want to die,” Terri admitted. “During the autopsy they found something carved into her back, though I never heard what, but the carvings were words.”

“Carved into her back?” Tara asked.

“That's what I was told, though it might not be true,” Terri admitted. “After her death the person she told the story to, and I'm afraid his name escapes me, he left New Haven right after…well he took control of her assets. The gentleman had no interest in running the store so he liquidated the inventory. Your mother and Marta were there that day and the dog that Catherine had refused to sell to them became Marta's,” Terri said.

Darwin asked, “How did the bite kill Catherine?”

“Who can say?” Terri responded. “Cathy was healthy, even for a crazy cat lady. After the bite she just never slept. Could it be post traumatic stress? I suppose. The town's people all had a bad feeling when Marta was around. I hate to say it, but many people around town admitted after she was gone they felt she was evil.”

Slade belted out a hardy laugh. “What is evil?”

“Mister Slade, you of all people should know evil in this world exists,” Terri lectured.

“Yes ma'am,” Slade replied humbly. “What I meant was she sounds like she was just a troubled child. Catherine's medical problems could have been coincidental.”

“You're right,” Terri replied. “On the other hand people who knew Marta might all tell you the same story I have. Anyway, I only tell you this because when I met Mary I did find something very familiar about her. I couldn't put my finger on it, but now that it has been said…” Terri paused not wishing to anger Darwin.

“Mary is not Marta!” Darwin insisted. “She knew damn well who I was. Why would my sister fuck me?” Darwin shouted.

A gargle came from a trembling Dave Cronin who was now drenched in a cold sweat, “Kimbel…Kimbel…Hadamar.”

The halls of Hadamar were quiet.

The rooms were empty waiting for the first inductees to arrive. The continuous moans and screams of her insane veal producers would drive the good doctor to an unhealthy way of thinking.

Teddy remained defiant, sealed away deep inside the dungeon. He refused to change, speak, eat or drink, all to Doctor Gagnon's insurmountable frustration.

If not for Dave's delivery of one Samuel Kimbel, Doctor Gagnon would have had nothing to do.

When Dave dropped him off he was bound and gagged. Dave had told the good doctor that he had found both Kimbel and Giddon wandering around in the woods north of town. All Dave would say was that Giddon was dead and that Kimbel had seen something out of this world.

That had been the previous day.

Doctor Gagnon had been monitoring Kimbel during that time and she was seriously considering calling Darwin to find out whether she should dispose of him. She had decided she would wait until three o'clock and then she would make the call.

Darwin, Slade, Tara and Terri entered Hadamar, dragging Dave with them just after two thirty that afternoon. Doctor Gagnon came running down the hall to greet the visitors, mostly because the curiosity was becoming intolerable. For Evita Gagnon, it had taken a great deal of will power to simply leave Kimbel gagged. It would have been too easy to remove the gag and hear the story but like a child at Christmas, she decided she would wait for the big moment.

“Evita!” Darwin shouted. “Got a new specimen for you!”

Doctor Gagnon ran over to Dave who was gray and had begun to bleed from his ears. His temples were softened like ice cream out of the freezer too long.

“What happened to him?” she asked.

“It's for you to find out but we think it's a version of silver poisoning. Did Dave drop off Kimbel?” Darwin let go of Dave, allowing his body to collapse full force to the floor. The impact of his head on the linoleum was like dropping a decomposing cantaloupe. One side flattened and cracked, leaking out mysterious black and gray syrup.

“Yes, yesterday. He said he wanted to tell you personally. When I didn't hear back from him or you…well I was only going to give it until three today before I called you myself.”

“Have you learnt anything?” Darwin asked.

“No, I've left him in PR4 the same way Dave brought him in.”

“PR4?” Slade interrupted.

“I'm sorry, who are you?” Doctor Gagnon asked.

“D.K. Slade.”

“Okay…” The doctor hesitated waiting for more, but realizing Slade was with Darwin it automatically gave Slade a level of security clearance. “PR4 means, Padded Room 4. Would you mind scraping Dave off the floor and taking him to an empty bed down the hall in the east wing, Mister Slade?”

“It would be my pleasure. I always clean up my messes,” Slade replied before bending down and lifting the putrefying bag of compost. “Come on, princess. Let's find you somewhere nice and easy to clean after you explode.”

“Explode?” Doctor Gagnon quickly asked.

“Maybe. Maybe not. One never can be too sure of these kinds of things. I'm betting he might only liquefy. We should know in the next twelve hours. If he starts to bloat, we've got a boomer!” Slade joked before heading down the hall.

“He's joking, right?” she asked.

“I don't think so,” Darwin calmly replied.

The group traveled through a serious of barriers, wedging each open as they passed. Slade then followed the open doors to catch up after he had taken out the trash. The lights were mostly off in the deserted corridors, making the hospital feel like it was the night shift. Sunshine filtered through fire exits at the end of each hall, but the lights faded only a few feet into Hadamar.

Doctor Gagnon made a sharp turn and passed through one final door that she had to open with an old-style Folger Adam key. The lock's mechanisms ground and snapped until the door swung open to a short hallway with four doors; two on each side of the hall.

“Evita, I also need a favor. Can you please review the coroner records for a Catherine Chester? Look for anything related to cuts or scars on her back,” Darwin asked, remembering the legend that Terri had told to him.

“Not a problem. He's in the last room on the right.” Doctor Gagnon motioned for Darwin to proceed on his own. “Here's the key.”

“Terri, come with me. Tara, you wait here for Slade,” Darwin said before turning down the concrete corridor polluted with fluorescent lighting.

Darwin quickly walked towards the cell door paying no attention to the other rooms. Terri, on the other hand, could not help but glance through the small windows into each empty chamber. For a person like Terri it was the first time she had seen such a place.

“This reminds me of that old movie…gosh I forget the name of it. You know the one with the guy acting insane to avoid prison?” Terri asked.

“Look at that. It's Kimbel,” Darwin uttered as he peered through the window. Ignoring Terri, Darwin opened the door in one swift move and entered the psychiatric hotel.

“If I don't get the name of that movie it's gonna bug the be-Jesus out of me,” Terri prattled on.

Darwin knelt down and removed the gag from Samuel Kimbel who seemed relieved to have some form of freedom. He gasped for air and slapped his chops which were clearly parched.

“Why? Why were you with her?” Kimbel struggled to get out.

“Terri, go get him some water,” Darwin said softly.

“Do you know the name of that movie…” Terri attempted to ask Kimbel.

“Terri please!” Darwin said with his voice elevated just shy of what might be considered a yell.

“Okay! I'm going!” the feisty old wolf replied as she scurried away.

Darwin asked, “Mister Kimbel, I never thought I'd be seeing you under these circumstances. Why are snooping around my personal life?”

“Do you know what you were with in those woods? It isn't human!” Kimbel rasped from his dry throat.

“Her name is Mary Cardwen. She is a she, not a what!” Darwin replied sternly.

“It's Marta Foster. I know because I've watched her grow up, ever since she came to Riverview as a teenager. When I saw you two, I had to be sure! That's why we followed you. She escaped. Very dangerous!” Kimbel insisted.

“You're wrong!” Darwin said not knowing how else to argue his point.

“She came home from school, grabbed a knife from the magnetic bar and stabbed you, didn't she?” Kimbel asked with a narrow gaze. “Your name is Foster. If it isn't you, it must be a relative of yours?”

Darwin shivered instinctively rubbing his shoulder and remembering his vision. No one knew the truth about his sister and what she had done. Darwin only remembered through the scar he bore. Confused and hurt, he removed his shirt exposing his reminder to Kimbel.

“No one knows about that,” Darwin admitted. “My sister attacked me when I was three. She was taken away. I never saw her again.”

Terri belted out interrupting the family reunion, “Got your water! Did you remember the name of that movie?”

“Thank you,” Kimbel said, taking large gulps from the bottle finishing more than half in one go. “
Cuckoo's Nest
,” he said.

“Right! Thank heavens! That would have driven me nuts all day if I didn't find out. Thank you!” Terri said excitedly. “I should watch that again sometime, great film! Oh,…did I interrupt you two?”

Darwin pulled his shirt back over his head and looked back to Terri, “no, I was just showing Mister Kimbel a gift Marta had left me.”

Kimbel confessed, “You're the reason it came to Riverview. You look so much older, the ages don't seem right.”

“I'm nineteen next week, but you're right I don't look like a teenager much anymore. I am the one she stabbed though,” Darwin conceded.

“Then you must hear this!” Kimbel demanded. “Doctor Giddon was the one who dealt with it on a regular basis. I was just an administrator. My interest in Marta was merely keeping injury claims and costs associated with her to a minimum. I actually tried to get Giddon to treat Marta as a real person. He always insisted that nothing human remained of her.”

“Why do you say that?” Darwin asked.

“She deteriorated over time. She never slept. She watched one spot on that damn wall every day all day. What we could never explain was her strength. She had immense strength; she could throw a three hundred pound man like a rag doll! That's why we never sent any less than six staff into her cell towards the end. Considering how inactive she was, her abilities made no sense. I was close – minded to the possibilities. I assumed she had a defect in her hypothalamus; at least that was the medical staff's theory which I went along with. As time went on, the staff began to conclude there was something supernatural about her. It became such an epidemic I had to threaten to dismiss staff who talked openly about it.” Kimbel stopped and took another drink.

“Why did everyone think that?” Darwin again pried.

“It knew things. It never spoke but it knew things about people. It tore a fetus from the womb of one of my nurses and ate it. No one knew she was pregnant!” Kimbel shouted.

“Guess you're food must have been pretty bad if she chose to eat an underdone yearling.” Terri said off the cuff. Both men looked at her not knowing how to respond. “Don't get me wrong, nothing like a young one to quench the hunger pain.”

“Werewolves. Yeah, I get it,” Kimbel uttered.

“
What else?
” Darwin shouted.

“She got out of her cell once!” Kimbel trembled. “It was like she wanted to taunt the staff. We didn't know how she did it. We didn't even know that she
had
done it—not until the security tapes were replayed. It was graveyard shift. The nurse on duty was at her station reading a magazine. She was turned away from the corridor that Marta's cell was in. At eleven minutes past two, Marta is seen on camera floating up the hall slowly. I say ‘floating' because as many times as I watched the tape, her feet never moved; she just glided across the floor!”

“Who let her out?” Terri asked.

“No one,” Kimbel said with certainty. “The door swings open and Marta is standing right there. We inspected the cell and reviewed the tapes. The lock was working and it was locked after her shower three days prior.”

“Three days without a shower?” Darwin asked, sounding disgusted.

“She was a complicated case; it's all we could do to safely manage her,” Kimbel replied. “Marta floats down the hall and stands right at the nurses' station motionless while the nurse keeps reading. For seventeen minutes Marta is only a few feet away from the nurse. Then at two-twenty-nine, she begins rotating her head to the left and her jaw and mouth begin to open, wider than any mouth I had ever seen.”

Tim! Monks!

“As quickly as it all started it stopped. Marta began to float slowly backwards down the hall back into her cell. The door slammed shut and relocked, though the nurse never heard a thing.”

Darwin asked, “How did you find out she got out?”

“One of the other patients, a multiple-personality case had seen Marta get out. He mentioned to the day staff he would like to come out after hours, like Marta had. He was ignored at first but he insisted Marta had been out, and that it wasn't fair. I guess to put the question to rest I ordered a review of the tapes, and that's when Giddon and I saw it. After that I knew what we had, though I continued to be a denier outwardly.”

“What changed?” Darwin asked.

Kimbel replied as he slid into a daze of recollection, “I was a denier, until I saw you two in the woods. Now there's nothing anymore. I saw…I remember it, but I don't know how it can be.” Kimbel replied as he slid into a daze of recollection.

“If you're so certain Mary is Marta, convince me,” Darwin said with a quiver in his throat.

“You've already decided it's true. Now you want to know why she came back for you,” Kimbel argued. “We were watching you two at a distance. You were walking through the forest and she was undressing ahead of you. Honestly we weren't all that interested in you, at least I wasn't; I think Giddon was curious about the werewolves Betmin had told him about.”

“You do have Nancy,” Darwin stated, choking on his own words.

“Oh, yes. We've had Nancy for a while; she's the reason we came back to New Haven. I think Giddon wanted to believe but I had to be sure we hadn't signed control of our patients over to a bunch of nuts.”

“No nuts here!” Terri proclaimed. “They're gonna make babies for us!”

“I'm not sure where you went; we lost sight of you. Marta kept walking; dancing through the woods like a flower child. She went faster and Eddie just tried to keep up. I don't think he realized he was almost at an all out sprint through the trees trying to keep up to her as she skipped longer and higher with each stride. By now, I'd forgotten about you and was trying to keep up with Eddie.”